{new york fashion week | days 3+4}

It's kind of hard to believe that I can write about 96 hours of fun, food, and fashion in 3 posts. I feel like I could've written a post about each show! So without further ado... days 3 and 4!

Day 3 // Saturday was cold and wiiiiindy. I'm talking whip your hair straight over your head and twist it into a knot windy. [Thank goodness our morning destination had hair touch-ups because it was desperately needed.] Our first meeting of the day was at the Shopstyle Social House. I met different brands like Gigi New York, Daniel Wellington, The Real Real, and hairstylists of R+Co (again, hair touch-ups. phew). It was a great opportunity to see new products, chat with other bloggers and make contacts with some new companies. I can't wait to share some fun collaborations coming up! I particularly loved looking at all of the new Gigi New York purses - they're now selling the perfect all-in-one clutch as a cross body!

After another granola bar and cup of tea morning I was so ready for brunch! We went to ABC Kitchen and met up with Amanda who works at M Booth PR. Amanda and I met at SBScon last summer so it was great to see her and catch up. We've worked together a couple of times and I can't wait to collaborate again :) Sorry, but typical Jenn... I was so hangry and preoccupied that I didn't take photos of my food. If you're ever around Union Square you have to stop by and get the donuts and cheddar biscuits. So good!! I also had the eggs benedict and it was incredible!

I had a little bit of a sad moment in my day... I was supposed to go to the Leanne Marshall show with Alex (who just got engaged!!) but due to timing and distance I couldn't make it :( note to self: schedule meetings and reservations closer to the show venues!

Luckily, we had another fun (non-fashion related) meeting. Society Social!!! As an interior designer and huge color lover I was thrilled when Roxy agreed to meet with us :) Not only did we get to see her gorgeous bar cart, pillows, furniture, and sofas first hand but we also met Inslee and her dog Ophelia when we arrived! A piece of Inslee artwork makes it on a wishlist at least twice every year in my dreams ;) Once their showroom/office space died down the four of us and Roxy chatted about inspiration and her career. She even asked for our opinions on designing her new house - she's torn about going a new path or sticking with the classic SS look. It was fascinating to get a peek inside her thought process and see all of her fabric and tassel samples! [Yes, the sofas are as comfortable as they look!]

This piece is officially at the top of my "need list". I just couldn't stop staring at it!

Heading home I had even more butterflies in my stomach because it meant it was time for the Monique Lhuillier show (see everything here)!!!! Y'all. This was the top show that I wanted to go to. When I got my invitation I could have cried haha (I may have almost teared up after the show because I was so damn happy). After walking three blocks in the freezing cold and waiting for what felt like eternity we were let in to the show. We stood for a couple of minutes and then were escorted into the third row!! Right behind celebrities like Ashley Madekwe, Naya Rivera, and Hillary Duff (and her body guard haha). The show was full of gorgeous colors, fun textures, sparkly socks, and lots of movement. I'm not joking when I say that I grinned from ear to ear the entire time. Incredible. Everything I thought it would be and more!!

[Then my phone died... this is what I get for having an old iPhone]

Off to dinner at The Smith in Midtown with Jess (one of the co-founders of The Blog Societies)!! Best dinner from the whole trip. Easily. I had the tuna poke bowl and washed it down with some Moscow Mules (my fave). This was only after we started off with the macaroni, mussels and a salmon bite starter hehe. Fashion makes you hungry!! We laughed the entire meal and were so full I don't know how we were able to stop by the Hotel Americano for a party and post dinner drinks... Naturally, I crashed when my head hit the pillow that night.

Day 4 // Sunday was a slow day. We still woke up early because we had to shower, pack and shoot our RTR looks from the night before. Fun fact: this day was the coldest day in NYC history in 100 years. Yep. Anything for fashion! After freezing our rear ends off and somehow getting everything back in our suitcases (overpacking is putting it lightly) we headed to Tribeca for lunch at Sarabeth's. I had the popover stuffed with scrambled eggs. Yummy, yummy, yummy!! Lauren and I attempted to shoot our brunch looks aaaand nope. Didn't work. Too freaking cold! So I'll be shooting my cute cape and turtleneck look with Emily this weekend haha :)

We shopped around Soho for awhile to kill time before our train. We went to the Birchbox store and customized a box (beauty junkie here!) and browsed the hundreds of products! We went into a couple of vintage second hand stores. It was incredible to see a Birkin casually sitting in a glass case for $9,000... I believe that's the first time I've ever seen one in person! Ha! At this point my feet were killing me, I was frozen, tired, and really ready to be home in my own bed with no makeup on. We stopped to get a drink and rest our feet and then headed back to the hotel to grab our bags.

The train station is a story I'll save for another day... I take Amtrak home once a month and this experience was unlike anything I've ever experienced before. I was so grateful I had saved my mini bottle of champagne from Laura [complete with luggage tags from Brittany Fuson!!] because it was needed!! Kristyn and I were sitting next to each other and decided to end the trip with a toast to Galentine's Day (best dates ever) and NYFW!

Until next time... because there WILL be a next time!!

Do you have any questions about NYFW and how you can attend yourself? Let me know your questions and I'll be sure to answer them in my upcoming post! I'll be sharing all of my tips!

Love Always,

{new york fashion week | day 2}

Here we go day 2!

Waking up in a hotel room knowing I was in New York was the best feeling. I slept so well (we all did – out like a light!) and woke up around 8 really excited to take on the day! Lauren and I had a bit of a later start so we got ready, she quickly took my photos from day 1 (what a saint), then we changed and hopped in a cab to head to the Yigal Azrouel show.

As Lauren put it… Fashion Week clearly created the phase “fashionably late”. I almost had a heart attack on the way to this show! It took a good 45 minutes to get downtown. We all tried to get to the shows 15-20 min before the tickets said they were scheduled to start since we had standing tickets. [If you’re first in line for standing then you’re more likely to be given seats when they fill in the spots aka you can be placed in the first through third row.] The show started at 11 and we got there at 11:03 – no joke haha. Luckily, we walked straight in and planted ourselves in awesome front row seats. 30 minutes later, the show started!

Going into this show I had only seen some of Yigal’s designs on Shopbop; I didn’t know too much about the designer. Afterwards? I couldn’t have been more obsessed with everything I saw!! First off, the models all wore these leather pointy toed booties that were A-MAZE. The mixture of texture, patterns, sheer lace, maroon and navy blue… everything had the most gorgeous detailing. Even the hair and makeup was on trend.

Once the show was over (again, only 10 minutes!) Lauren and I headed uptown to meet Kristyn and Laura at the Julie Vos showroom. This was the most exciting showroom visit for me… I’ve admired Julie Vos for years but never actually purchased a piece for myself. It sounds silly but I’ve never gotten anything because I could never decide what I wanted to get for myself! The coin necklace has always been a wardrobe staple for JV fans so that was at the top of my list. And then... I saw her new spring collection. Holy mother of all that is turquoise. Pure gold perfection heaven. I instantly dove in and tried half the collection on. I will not apologize for wearing my new bracelet 5 times a week ;) [or for instagramming it every 4 pictures hehe].

We finally had to pull ourselves away because we had reservations for high tea at The Plaza!! I don’t know how I managed to go from 8am until 2pm on only a cup of tea and a granola bar but somehow this hangry girl made it! This was my first time at The Plaza and it was so magical. It had been a really busy non-stop morning so sitting down and having a glass of Veuve, black tea, desserts, and finger sandwiches was perfect! The four of us were all dressed up and totally on cloud nine. I think we spent around 2 hours sitting there chatting and taking it all in. Especially the guy in a tight white bathing suit, slip on shoes, no shirt, huge sunglasses, and a giant fur coat... that was entertaining!

After brunch (and exploring The Plaza a bit) we were back to Clarkson Square for the O’2^nd presentation. This was my first presentation so I loved being able to see the designs up close and really examine them. The red and powder blue coat looked so cozy. Every look was totally different and I loved actually being able to see the shoes!

After grabbing some water (phew) Kristyn and I headed back to the hotel. I helped her pull her boots off (haha) and rested my feet a bit before walking to the Sherri Hill show at Gotham Hall!

I was pretty excited for this show for two reasons – 1) I never got to wear a fancy, long dress for prom and 2) Sadie Robertson!! She’s been the face of Sherri Hill for a couple of years now and I think she’s just the cutest thing ever. Amongst all of the high fashion and “trendy” looks it was refreshing to see sparkly ball gowns and really cute short dresses! The scene was like one big family. Everyone was wearing Sherri Hill and the girls all knew each other and were passing out hugs and kisses and posing for the photographers. I ended up being seated behind some big Disney/CW/Nickelodeon stars… that I embarrassingly didn’t know… I took SO many photos at this show because everything was literally picture perfect. The inner princess in me came out and I smiled the entire time. ;) Obviously this was my favorite show of the day (if I had to pick!!)

Back to the hotel for a quick change and off to dinner at Balthazar with a huge group of blogger girls! I was so deep in conversation the whole time that I didn’t even take a picture of my food, the restaurant or anything! My sweet friend from high school, Allison, joined us – I loved being able to see a friendly, familiar face. My salad wasn’t the best but the wine was amazing and the bite of steak Kristyn gave me was deeeelicious. I was pretty jealous I didn’t just get the red meat instead of trying to be healthy ha!

After lots of chatting, gabbing, drinking, and doing what girls do ;) we went home with full bellies and prepared for another super busy day ahead!!

Coming tomorrow: days 3 + 4

Thank you for reading this far [or simply just browsing the pictures ;) ]

Love Always,

{new york fashion week | day 1}

Alright y'all - I'm finally kicking off my recaps of New York Fashion Week! It's taken a while to go through all of my photos and videos and it's also taken me a good week to catch up on sleep! I think I've worn heels once since I got back to DC ;) I will never forget a pair of flats/boots again. I know I promised days 1 and 2 for today's post but after looking at over 1,000 photos they need to be split up... trust me. It'll save your hand from scrolling! Plus, pictures are more fun than words.

Day 1 was the definition of a whirlwind... We woke up at 3am to catch a train around 5am. It put us in NYC by 8:15 so it was business the second we saw the skyline. I was in charge of taking everyone's bags to the hotel since they had the Nicholas K show at 9. I didn't mind one bit because it meant I had a chance to freshen up before the BCBG show at 10!!!

(Did you see my post yesterday on what I wore during day 1?)

BCBG... My first fashion show... I think my heart was pounding out of my chest because I was so excited while walking up to Moynihan Station. I ended up sitting in the third row! The pictures didn't turn out too well because of the contrast between the runway and the all black space but I think I have the whole (8 minute) show engrained in my memory forever. The music thumped so loudly you could feel it in every bit of your being - I felt like I was living and breathing fashion. Pure magic.

Off to Laduree for brunch, rosé, and macarons (of course). This cute little spot was totally worth a visit and it was nice to sit and relax for a brief moment with my girls. Plus, the macarons were absolutely divine and I'm still dreaming about them... I adored the colors and the romantic, French vibe. I'm a huge croque monsieur fan and this did not disappoint. Top of my list!

Lydell NYC jewelry showroom - what a fun visit!! This space had jewelry for every girl. From boho to glam to dainty... you name it! I picked up some fun pieces and can't wait to style them :) Sadly, my favorite one broke during a cleaning accident last Friday. Tears were involved (ha!) the second it becomes available online you better believe I'm purchasing it.

After a fun visit and glass of champagne with the Lydell girls the 4 of us were off to the Marissa Webb show at Skylight Clarkson Square (see full collection here). Everything was so wearable that I don't think I could pick a favorite look! After some fun blogger celeb sightings you could feel the adrenaline in the air waiting for the show to start. We had great seats so that we could survey the entire runway scene and watch the models come and go. Everything glowed pink/blue in the beginning and then became so stark and crystal clear when the show came on! Marissa Webb used to be the creative director for Banana Republic and J.Crew so I knew her newest line would continue to be perfect for "real life".

It was freeeeezing and really windy when we got out of the show so I was thrilled we were stopping to meet up with AnnaCaroline of Dressometry at a cute little coffee shop called Chalait. I am a huge chai tea latte girl and can't recommend the one I had there enough. I've worked with Dressometry before and was excited to hear how AC got everything started and meet her in real life. She has a fascinating background and I'm excited to bring y'all some awesome giveaways in the near future with them!

After coffee we stopped by the hotel to change into comfortable clothes before dinner at Cookshop... for me that meant an all black ensemble with my camel cashmere scarf and chucks. If I had added a black beanie and Ray-Bans I would've felt very NYC hehe. My friend Krista was supposed to join us (and made the reservation for the group) but sadly she had a bad case of the flu. Luckily, our other NYC friend, Dana, was able to meet us still! After a delicious pasta meal and (one) glass of wine you could tell our eyelids were heavy and we were ready for bed... we had been up for 20 hours...

If you've made it this far - Thank you for reading!! Check back in tomorrow for day 2 (for real this time) and then days 3 + 4 on Friday. I would love to give y'all any of my tips for surviving NYFW or how to actually make the dream come true! Please email me (or snap me, comment, message, etc.) any of your questions so I can help and get a great post together!

You know day 2 is gonna be a good one when it starts with macarons from breakfast and some pretty jewels ;)

Love Always,